Trump declared 'the era of economic surrender is over' as he touted his tax reform plan

President Trump delivers a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Updated September 29, 2017 12:01 PM EDT

President Trump on Friday vowed that America's "era of economic surrender is over" while promoting his administration's framework for U.S. tax reform.

"Under my administration, the era of economic surrender is over - and the rebirth of American industry has begun," he said during a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in Washington, D.C.

"It is a burden on our country," Trump added of America's current tax code. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to pass tax reform that is pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro-families and pro-America."

"My administration is working every day to lift the burdens on our workers and our companies so you can thrive and compete and grow. When our workers have a level playing field, no one, absolutely no one, can beat us."

Updated September 29, 2017 11:53 AM EDT

Trump said there's "nothing left" in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria recently struck the U.S. territory, leaving it devastated and its residents struggling to meet their basic needs.

"There's nothing left," he said during a speech before the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) in Washington, D.C. "It's been wiped out."

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"The electrical grid and infrastructure and infrastructure were already in very, very poor shape," Trump continued of the period before Maria made landfall. "They were at their life's end."

"We're literally starting from scratch. We've never seen a situation like this. The roads have been washed away. [The] sewage systems wiped out. We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe."

September 29, 2017 10:46 AM EDT

President Trump on Friday is expected to promote the GOP's strategy for tax reform during a speech to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM).

NAM is a key business group that sees the plan in a positive light, and Trump's remarks are predicted to explain the importance of boosting U.S. manufacturing.

"When we grow American manufacturing, we don't only grow our jobs and wages - we also grow the American spirit," he is expected to say, according to an excerpt the White House provided to The Hill.

"When we purchase products Made in America, fashioned by our fellow citizens, we renew the bonds of national loyalty that link us all together."

Trump's address is his latest effort to boost support for a nine-page tax reform framework the White House and congressional Republicans revealed last Wednesday.